Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 9/9/2009

Question
Sir,
In reference to medical retirement is VA compensation addition to the 30% disability or an off set?  (Deducted from disability and given back as VA compensation).
Thanks,
Ron

Answer
Ron,
Beginning in the year 2004 Congress approved "Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP)" what became known as "Concurrent Receipt".  In short this means your Retired Pay is no longer subject to an "offset" by VA pay.  This law phases out (over 9 years) the VA disability offset, which means that military retirees with 20 or more years of service and a 50% (or higher) VA rated disability will no longer have their military retirement pay reduced by the amount of their VA disability compensation.  This means that if you qualify you will see your retirement pay increase by approximately 10% each year until the phase-in is complete in 2014.  If you are rated at 80% or more disabled, there is no waiting period and you will receive full military pay AND full VA compensation immediately.

The amount of VA disability pay you will receive is very complicated to figure.  Just because the military says you are X% disabled does not necessarily mean the VA will match that %.  It could be more or it could be less.

You can find more info at http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalpay/a/conreceipt.htm  or better yet, talk to a Service Officer at your local Disabled American Veterans (DAV).  You can find your local office at http://www.dav.org/   They're a great organization dedicated to helping veterans through the complicated VA process.

Colonel H